Pokémon Rescue Team - Curse of Ninetales
by FoxtrotShig
Summary: What if you woke up one day and you were in the same situation as Albus, prior human, now a Pokémon stuck with amnesia in a new world, where he can speak and interact with other Pokémon? The adventure begins when he and his new partner Skitty set out on rescue missions in a world ravaged by natural disasters. But what is Albus's true purpose and destiny in this strange world?


***WARNING* - I included a soundtrack for my fanfic to make it more interesting for you guys while reading! I tried to copy and paste the links to the songs here but then remembered you can't copy in this site so I'll just put the name of the song in bold and the youtube channel where you can find it. Happy reading!**

He was aware that he was unconscious, but couldn't open his eyes. Or move at all.

But he could still feel it. Life, it is, flowing within him and around him.

The wind tickling his nose.

The smell of fresh grass.

Birds singing in the distance.

... Wait... Birds? No way. Those tweets sounded like Pidgey screeches. He knew that sound way too well. From where? That's strange... He couldn't recall?

The grass was making his nose tickle and as much as he wanted to sneeze, he just couldn't bring himself to move even an inch. He felt that he was lying on some sort of rug that felt weird against the texture of the grass.

"Am I dead?" - he though to herself - "Is this what it feels like to be dead? That's not how the books described heaven. Where's the rainbow waterslide and the barman holding endless fancy treats on a plate? .. Well crud. I'm dead."

A vacuum feeling fills his thoughts as well as his entire body.

What was he doing there? How did he end up there?

...

Who was he?

He began to feel scared. No matter how much thought was put into the matter, he just couldn't answer these lingering questions. Not recalling from where he recognized the Pidgey tweets was the least of his concerns. It was almost as if his memories had been sucked dry.

Not remembering the tiniest bit of detail about his own self was, in the least, terrifying. If he was awake, this is where he would start crying. This feeling of eternal oblivious, lost in his mind's thoughts was nightmare material.

"My name is Albus." - this sentence suddenly echoed in the back of his mind, a sort of vision-like thought whose arrival to his mind was definitely something he didn't control or see coming

What was that all about? A little ray of hope, that's what it was.

"At least I remember my name." - he finally concluded

Suddenly a noise coming from near him interrupted his thoughts and made his tiny ears twitch in response. Someone was coming closer to him. Had help finally come? Or was it someone dangerous? He sure hoped it was not the latter. The approaching steps stopped then started again, this time faster. As if whoever it was hesitated for a few seconds before starting running towards him.

\- Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! - he heard a squeaky soft scream really close to his face - What do I do now? There's someone collapsed on the ground! - the screams got louder, showing concern for the victim lying on the ground - I have to call a Rescue Team! - the mysterious presence began to walk away from the lifeless-looking corpse, its the steps started sounding further and further away, then suddenly stopped and finally started approaching her again - Oh wait, silly me, I am part of my own Rescue Team! There's no one but me to help right now!

 **Song - Totosai's theme, Youtube Channel - COMBBOS**

The mysterious presence started shaking him awake.

\- Hey, wakey-wakey sleepy face! Rise and shine and don't whine!

The more the strange person shook him, the more dizzy he felt. But it seemed to be working, he was regaining control of my body little by little.

\- I don't have all day, ya know? There's others waiting for my awesome rescues. - she shook him even more violently

But he was still in a deep sleep from which he couldn't wake up no matter what.

\- Come on! WAKE UP!

"Man oh man, how can someone sleep in the middle of the path? Honestly... In that case, it gives me no choice!" - the squeaky pokémon thought to herself

Suddenly Albus felt a strong pain on his cheek. Then on the other cheek. And so on until his poor cheeks starting feeling numb.

"Is this for real? She's actually slapping me?" - he thought to herself, shocked and offended

\- OUCHHHH! - Albus screamed, finally waking up from his coma-like slumber - What was that for?! My cheeks are burning in pain! - he rolled on the floor with his paws on his cheeks whining and panting

\- Oh my gosh? You're alive after all! - his "savior" said cheerfully - Yet another mission satisfyingly complete my yours truly!

\- What is wrong with you?! Of course I'm alive, you dolt! - although Albus was grateful, he couldn't help releasing some steam

\- You seem to have a temper thing going on, dude. It's not good to be like that, you'll get lots and lots of wrinkles once you get older, ya know! Smiiiiiiiile! - she said, offering the best smile she could, light as a feather, sparkly like a rainbow

Albus finally looked at the owner of the squeaky voice, who just saved his life. In front of him was a pink, feline Pokémon with a stumpy body and four short legs. On her face was a cream-colored, crescent-shaped marking. She had slit-like eyes and tufted ears with purple interiors. Her slender tail had a bulky pink section at the end, terminated by three pin-like structures with yellow ball-like tips. She was still smiling, probably waiting for Albus to smile back.

And then realization hit Albus like a lightening strike.

\- Wait a minute... You're a Skitty! - Albus stepped back, his mouth wide open in shock

\- Well of course I am. I though that was obvious. - she said, her eyebrows frowning - You still haven't thanked me, though. Nya. - she let out a cute meowing sound at the end of her sentence - That's very rude, dude. I saved your life, ya know?

\- ... Thank you. - Albus finally said, surprisingly embarrassed for some reason

But he was still confused at her current situation. He was literally talking with a pokémon, with a Skitty as a matter of fact, and that only happens in dreams.

"... Wait. Dreams! That's it! The reason why it was impossible to wake up is because I am currently dreaming! I mean, It's the only reasonable explanation for this. Of course, I must still be sleeping in my comfy bed!" - Albus thought to herself, relieved

He closed his eyes tightly and waited. Waiting to wake up. To no avail, of course.

The Skitty eyed him curiously. He was a weird Bulbasaur alright. Taking a nap on the middle of the path as if nothing, even with the occurring earthquakes happening every single day. It was a miracle that he was unharmed, and yet, he didn't seem to realize the danger he was in.

\- Hey mister Bulbasaur, I don't think you realize how dangerous this area is right now. Let's escort you to Pokémon Square so you can get a check-up to see if you are okay. I'm sure Kangaskhan won't mind sparing her time to get her nurse hat ready. - she said while pointing at the way she came from

Albus finally opened his eyes, now completely sure that none of what was happening was a dream. It felt way too real to be a dream. Normally, people are fully aware that they are dreaming when they are doing so. And right now it was not the case. He felt that he was fully awake.

He also felt... Naked. Somehow.

The wind was tickling his bare skin. He couldn't feel his clothes touching his skin.

And what Skitty had just said didn't make things easier.

\- Did you just say... "Mister Bulbasaur"? - Albus nervously asked, avoiding looking at himself, fearing the worst

\- I did. - Skitty answered with no hesitation whatsoever, then suddenly gasped and bowed - Oh my gosh, I'm so rude! I completely forgot to introduce myself! My name is Kiffer. - she confidently said while doing an air punch with her tiny little paws - Kiffer the Skitty at your service! Part of the coolest rescue team. Even if only recently. - she whispered the last sentence of her introduction - What about you, nya?

"So I turned into a Bulbasaur..." - his confused tone echoed in his head - "This can't be. This has to be a dream after all. Or maybe Alphonse messed with my tea and now I'm tripping on acids again. That little idiot is going to pay."

\- I'm Albus! - he looked right into Kiffer's eyes, his gaze burning - And I am not an Bulbasaur! I'm a human. And who are you anyway, "Kiffer" as you said? I call bull! I might be high as crud right now but I know exactly what you are! I refuse to let you have the last laugh! - she glowed - Alphonse, you dolt! What the crud did you poured into my tea this time?

\- ... Aye? - Kiffer has never been so confused in her life - Did you bump your head? Is that why you were lying unconscious in the middle of the path? - she observed Albus head to toe - But I don't see any wounds...

\- You know what Alphonse? I'm tired of your shenanigans. Where do you even find all those messed up substances? Are you friends with a drug dealer? I'll have to tell mom if that's the case, that is not good for you. - he positioned his arm on Kiffer's shoulder, nodding as he talked

A sweat drop ran down Kiffer's face. Was he for real?

"What a messed up guy." - the cat pokémon thought to herself

Albus realized he was sounding like a maniac. There's no way Alphonse put messed up drugs in his tea, he hadn't seen him for so long. And he didn't even drink tea this week!

\- Hum... Albus was it? That sounds like the name of some latim warrior who eats cabbages for breakfast, so imma call you Alby from now on. - Albus frowned, but nodded right after - You're saying you're a human? - Albus nodded again, getting more and more embarrassed - You seem like a regular Bulbasaur to me... And besides, humans are just a silly legend. - the Skitty added, completely sure of what she had just said

\- But I'm a human... - Albus said, his voice trembling - I know I am... Or was. I don't how this happened, but I can assure you that I wasn't born as a Bulbasaur. I got transformed somehow... But I ...I can't remember anything! - his eyes widened as he became scared - I remember that I was a human but not how I looked like and I remember my brother Alphonse, but nothing else...

 **Stop the song**

Kiffer immediately believed him. She didn't know why she was so eager to trust this strange pokémon who appeared to be acting like the craziest individual the Skitty had ever met. Even the outlaws in prison seemed to have better excuses than him. But something inside her heart reassured her into accepting to help this pokémon. Maybe her dream to become the best pokémon explorer ever was the reason, and right now this Albus guy seemed to be in need of that help.

\- In that case, I believe you! - Kiffer said, a sunshining smile running across her face

\- You... You seriously believe me? - Albus looked up, slightly relived - But why? All of this must sound like nonsense to you. - he approached the Skitty, with a determined look on his face - But I can guarantee it to you, I am not lying!

\- It's okay, I know.

\- You do?

\- Well no. - Albus fell to the ground anime style in shock when the cat pokémon said that - But there is one thing I do know, and that is: I never refuse to give a helping hand to those who need! And besides, you don't look like a bad pokémon, nya!

Albus didn't know how to react. How can someone really believe all he just said? What if he was actually a psychopath with a evil scheme in the back of his mind? He could just come here, invent a totally unrealistic backstory and this naive Skitty would fall for that like a dummy. It was dangerous to trust others like this. She was naive.

Kiffer smiled warmly, making all of his worries melt away into the air. Albus smiled back. He felt safe somehow.

A noise coming from the bushes interrupts the conversation.

Both of them looked at the bushes, Kiffer's ears twitching to determinate in the sound's source. Albus squinted to have a more accurate look around and Kiffer couldn't squint any further than what her eyes already did.

\- Who's there? - the Albus asked, relunctely

\- We won't hurt you! You can come, nya! - the Skitty gently said

The sounds were getting closer and louder, this time from above them.

They both looked up and were surprised to see a vaguely anthropomorphic butterfly with a purple body flying towards them. It only had two body segments and four light blue legs. Two black antennae on top of her head, a light blue snout with two fangs underneath, and large, red compound eyes. Its two pairs of veined wings were white with black accents.

\- Bloody cupcakes, miss Butterfree! You scared the yankees out of me! - Kiffer laughed as she shook hands with the strange Pokemon (using her tail as a hand) whom she seemed familiar with - ...Alby, this is miss Butterfree, a sweet and caring mother from pokémon Square.

\- Nice to meet you miss... - Albus shyly shook hands with the butterfly pokémon

\- So what brings you here miss? You normally never leave town, you always be saying how dangerous it is for your little boy. - Kiffer asked

\- My little boy... That is what brings me here... - the butterfly said, her voice trembling so much that Albus almost expected her to start crying any second now - Today is his birthday so I made an exception and we were having a picnic in Tiny Woods but ... But ... But... - she hid her face with her hands - Oh I shouldn't have allowed it! I knew that exiting the town was dangerous, especially now! I am a terrible mother!

She couldn't think straight anymore as the tears ran down from her big insect eyes.

\- Miss Butterfree... - the Skitty tried to snap her out of it - If you don't calm yourself I won't be able to help ya... Please take a deep breath and tell me what happened to lil' Caterpie.

The Butterfree cleaned the tears from her eyes and looked at the entrance of the forest. Still sobbing, she gave her best to explain the situation.

\- While we were having our picnic... A huge huge fissure opened on the ground... AND MY POOR BABY FELL INSIDE! - she finally lost it and started crying compulsively, tears everywhere on her face, one of them hitting Kiffer's nuzzle, who quickly whipped it off with her tail - Please you have to help him! He can't crawl out on his own! I tried to get him out but I was chased out by a swarm of Pidgeys..!

Kiffer's didn't show any expression. She walked in circles mumbling some words, but spoke too quietly to be understood. Her fur bristling more and more for every step she took.

\- It is bad. Really bad. I know it is. - Butterfree said to break the silence, while still sobbing between words - It's too dangerous around here. Especially now.

\- What do you mean? What is happening right now? - Albus asked, frustrated, since nothing was making sense since he woke up

\- Natural disasters. The world's balance getting messed up. Don't you watch the PokéNews? - the Butterfree asked

Kiffer began to walk towards the dungeon's entrance, ignoring both Albus and Butterfree.

\- Where are you going? - the Bulbasaur asked

\- Getting the kid back to its mother. It's my job, nya. You stay here with miss Butterfree. You won't be very useful in that amnesiac state, you'll just get yourself in danger. - and there she was being peppy and carefree again, as if the current situation was that bad and that the serious Skitty she just saw a couple of seconds ago disappeared completely

But that wasn't what he was most worried about at that moment. Something inside Albus clicked. He felt strange. His senses were trying to tell him something. He wanted to join Kiffer to save the missing child, yet he didn't quite know why. He felt a feeling he has felt before. Heroic blood running down his veins. Maybe he was some kind of hero whose arch nemesis erased his memory for plot convenience. That would explain why he felt the burning desire to intervene and help. Or maybe he had watched too many movies as a human.

He ran and stepped in between the entrance to the dungeon and Kiffer.

\- What are you...

\- Lemme go with you! - he didn't let the Skitty finish her sentence - I don't know why, and this is going to sound weird, but for the first time since I woke up I feel a familiar feeling tingling inside me! I want to save Caterpie!

Kiffer stared him down.

\- You're probably thinking I'm weird right...? - Albus looked away embarrassed, realizing he probably overdid it

\- No. Not quite. You see, - Kiffer smiled - I believed you right away when you told me your "secret" - she didn't say human out aloud because Butterfree was there - and I'm having a similar reaction right now. I definitely want to trust you but...

\- But?

\- I don't know... What if you get hurt? I don't want to be responsible for any injuries. And you in that state... You may not have the necessary qualifications if an enemy strikes, nya.

\- Hey, I have amnesia, not a physical condition. I can still fight if I have to. - Albus clenched his paws and frowned - Lemme do this.

\- Then let's go! - Kiffer said while running towards the entrance, Albus right behind her

 **Song - Tiny Woods, Youtube Channel - VGManiac456**

In Tiny Woods the sky vanished almost completely, only a few fragments of blue remained like scattered pieces of an impossible jigsaw puzzle. The air was rich with the fragrance of leaves and loam, damp too. Even after the sudden rain stopped almost an hour ago, the soil remained wet, slowly releasing its heady fog. Outside the noon daylight, the powerful rays of early summer, but in here everything was cool and the colours had the softness of that time just before twilight. The only movement is the occasional Pidgey, flapping its wings into the distance, or a Wurmple, dashing up a nearby trunk. The sound of running water in the brook had the same hypnotic quality as music.

Albus felt like stopping just to drink in the sound, but Kiffer would never allow it, she wanted to save Carterpie so badly, seeing how she ran as fast has she could (even though she had those tiny little paws). The Bulbasaur also shared the same feeling anyway, so he just shook his head and ignored his thirst for peacefulness.

Ahead in the forest trees were thinner, a clearing or perhaps a glade? As they drew closer they could see that it was neither. The firm ground gave way to a marsh of tall reeds, the soil submersed in water. The summer sunlight falls directly onto a tree trunk, likely felled for just this purpose, a bridge.

There was no hand rail, nothing to steady oneself. With one careful paw Albus tested the bark, the bridge making a "creek" sound just like doors in horror movies. It was damp with a smattering of moss, likely the sunrays keep the worst of it off. It wasn't too slippery, but it was no concrete sidewalk. It's had a girth of about three arm spans, yet the top was still curved.

It didn't look too safe. The drop wasn't dangerous, just one hell of a messy landing. Or at least he thought so until he walked closer to the edge and realized there was actually a cliff under it, the bottom impossible to detect. A bottomless hole of death, that's what it was.

It was time to take a deep breath and just go - eyes on his paws and the next half meter of tree. Steady. Steady. One foot (or paw in this case) at a time would do the job.

\- We can do it if we take one step at a time. - Albus turned around to talk to Kiffer, but the latter was nowhere to be seen - What the? Hey! - he checked around but the only thing keeping him company was the bridge itself and the howling wind - Kiffer where are you?!

\- BAM WOW! - the Skitty screamed as she ran passed Albus at full speed, headed to the bridge - I'm coming Caterpie!

\- Kiffer, WAIT! The bridge is not safe! - the Bulbasaur had no choice but to run after her

Both of them were running dangerously fast on the bark bridge, which started to creek in such a way one would think there was an earthquake going on. As much as Albus called Kiffer's name, the creaking of the bridge was too loud to make himself be heard. Their tiny paws constantly making friction against the rotten wood were certainly part of the reason the creaking noise was so loud.

Once the bridge began to jerk, Albus stopped running almost immediately and found it difficult to remain standing. The Skitty was still at it, running a marathon on the wooded path. From behind them the ropes sustaining the bridge were starting to rip apart. It was too late to go back now.

\- Kiffer if you don't stop the bridge is gonna... AHHHHHHHH! -he screamed as he felt they were starting to fall

 **Song - Corpse Party Blood Covered OST Fear 2, Youtube Channel - InferMag**

The ropes got ripped apart in three seconds and they soon began to fall in a vortex of rotting wood debris, bits of strings and many many leaves, creating a tornado of death. Albus was paralyzed in shock by the sudden rush of adrenaline as he let himself fall, feeling as though his life was flashing before his eyes while he struggled to catch his breath.

As they were both falling to their apparent deaths, the Bulbasaur tried to gain control of his body and looked at the wood debris. He could try to jump over them in order to get to Kiffer and try to take them both out of there alive. It was a crazy idea bounded to fail miserably, but there weren't really other options to chose from. It's better to die trying than giving up immediately.

Since he was falling with his belly facing the sky (feeling the leaves and wind scratching his back as he fell) he had to turn around amidst the bustle if he wanted to try out his last minute plan. It took a lot of strength in order to do so but he pulled it off somehow. The problem now was reaching the big piece of wood in front of him. He reached out his paw, but realized (or remembered actually) that his human fingers were no longer there, being replaced by unbendable spiky toes. How was he going to make it without fingers? He almost cursed under in his breath and wished he had transformed into a or a Aipom.

From the corner of his eye he noticed Kiffer, who was unconscious, her body looking like an old rag sleeting from a hanger. This horrible sight gave him enough willpower to try again. There had to be something he could do.

An idea struck him like a Thunderbolt, he faced the other way and performed Vine Whip. It was hard for the fist few seconds, seeing how he had never performed a move or an ability like that before (because humans are boring creatures). Sadly, he only reached for other falling debris. He repeated the process, grabbing other falling debris, until he finally grabbed on to Kiffer with his vines. He pulled her closer to him and grabbed her tightly.

...

He managed to reach Kiffer, but... Now what?

His courage drifted away with every piece of raft that hit his face. This was it. The end. As soon as he started to see the ground in the distance, he knew they were both done for. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact that would soon take his life. Who would have thought that his life would end like this?

...

But the thing is... It was far from being over.


End file.
